At the midpoint of the MARVI project, the meeting held in Madrid and coordinated by Volies Association as a project partner marked a key milestone: the official launch of the Community of Practice and the consolidation of a European network for inclusive cultural volunteering, a space designed to connect museum professionals, social organisations, and volunteering experts interested in driving more inclusive and transformative models.
This milestone strengthens a European network that brings together organisations such as CEATE, OTB Foundation, Fundação Felipe de Almeida, the University of Granada, and Erasmus University Rotterdam, with Volies Association acting as the coordinating entity.
European network for inclusive cultural volunteering: insights from the Spanish sector
During the in-person sessions, we were also joined by leading cultural institutions such as the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía and the Museo Nacional de Antropología, which contributed their experience and perspectives on the role of volunteering within the museum sector.
The diversity of profiles, volunteering teams, curators, researchers, and third-sector professionals, enabled an honest dialogue on how to open museums to broader and more diverse communities.
The meeting was hosted by Cruz Roja Española at its Centro de Intervención Social de Pozas, to whom we extend our thanks for their hospitality and logistical support.
Looking ahead
As a next step, the Community of Practice will continue its journey through a series of online sessions in Spanish, aimed at professionals from Spain and Latin America.
The objectives are to:
- Expand the network
- Share practical tools
- Continue building a stable space for collaborative learning around cultural volunteering as a driver of inclusion and social cohesion across both regions.
More about MARVI
MARVI (Museum and Restoration Volunteering for Inclusion) is a project co-funded by Erasmus+ that promotes social inclusion through cultural volunteering, strengthening the capacity of museums as living, open, and accessible spaces for all communities. Volies Association is one of its partner organisations.
More information about the project: www.marvi-eu.org
